


Four Ways to Survive, and One Way That Kills You

by stardustgirl



Series: Rebels Oneshots [9]
Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: (well some of it is), 4 + 1, Angst, Pre-Canon, Pre-Series, it doesn’t always work, ketsu acts like a big sister but uh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-07-26 01:37:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16209947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stardustgirl/pseuds/stardustgirl
Summary: Ketsu had tried to teach her this so many times.It had never worked.It didn’t work, even as she watched Hera nearly die and swore vengeance on the Protectors.|~~~|Four rules Ketsu taught Sabine to survive, and one that didn’t quite sink in.





	Four Ways to Survive, and One Way That Kills You

_Rule One: Don’t make yourself vulnerable._  
Ketsu had taught her that one, and had drilled it into her as the blast had knocked her against a wall. Ketsu took one look at her and grabbed the bag of fuel canisters they’d stolen and ran as the stormtroopers entered the alley shooting at Ketsu before turning their blasters on her. She staggered to her feet, pulling a WESTAR weakly as one of their charges hit her in the opposite arm. She cried out, stumbling back against the wall as another charge knocked her WESTAR out of her hand. Another followed it, only grazing her side but it was enough to send her to the ground, skull rattling even inside her helmet as she hit the duracrete.

* * *

_Rule Two: Don’t make yourself indebted. To anyone. Ever._  
Ketsu had taught her that one as well, letting the ‘troopers themselves drill it into her as she waited for the final blow. But none came.  
Cracking open her eyes, she watched as the ‘troopers were shot down mercilessly—though the shooter used stun shots, she noted. A nerf-tailed man approached, followed shortly after by a...was that a _Lasat?_ She struggled to get up, but her arm and side were bleeding and her head was throbbing. The human glanced down at her, replacing the blaster in its holster as he raised an eyebrow.  
“You need help?”  
She shook her head no, getting to one knee, but stumbled immediately afterward. The man sighed, helping her up without her permission and taking her to their ship. Without asking for anything, he gave her bacta patches and painkillers and stood by, waiting for another request for help, as she tried to bandage the injuries herself.  
So when she almost left three months later, she found herself unable to. Not without paying them back first.

* * *

_Rule Three: Don’t make yourself able to betrayed. Just don’t trust anyone. Ever._  
Ketsu had taught her this rule as well, though she only realized it when she was older, meeting the bounty hunter again and thinking through what had all gone wrong between them. And then she could only listen in stunned silence as Ketsu promised to blow up her newly-stolen ship if she didn’t hand over the droid. But she couldn’t just hand over intel.  
But she also couldn’t just have shot Ketsu down back on Garel.

* * *

_Rule Four: Don’t make yourself a slave to fear._  
Ketsu had taught her another rule, but it was a combination of Kanan, Ezra, Fenn Rau, and herself who had taught it to her.  
“You’re not fighting me, you’re fighting yourself—and _losing!_  
“You’re not committed to this.  
“You should quit.”  
“I never quit!” she yelled, swinging the blade up. The Jedi scoffed.  
“Really, that’s not what it looks like. You did run, didn’t you?” Kanan’s hoarse voice accused.  
“No!” she shouted, her tone more desperate than she would’ve liked.  
“But that’s what your people believe, isn’t it?” His ‘saber came crashing down on the Darksaber and it took all her strength to hold it up.  
“You ran from the Empire.” Another swing, another deflected blade. “You ran from your family.” She stumbled past Kanan as he turned slowly back to face her.  
“Lies!” She rushed forward, yelling, but he met her, disarmed her, and knocked her to the ground. She remained there for a moment, breathing heavily.  
“So what’s the _truth?_ ”  
She stumbled to her feet, grabbed the Darksaber, and rushed forward with another yell.

* * *

_Rule Five: Don’t make yourself open to anyone. You can lose others. You can’t lose yourself._  
Ketsu had tried to teach her this so many times.  
It had never worked.  
It didn’t work, even as she watched Hera nearly die and swore vengeance on the Protectors.  
It didn’t work, even as she watched Kanan hold back the inferno on the fuel pod that night, removing her helmet and holding back tears, swiping at them and forcing herself to pilot the transport away and leave him alone so she and Hera and Ezra could live—that was what he had wanted, after all.  
It didn’t work, even as she watched the pergills emerge above Capital City and completely _decimate_  Thrawn’s fleet, watched as they went into hyperspace, taking Ezra with them, and not knowing if she would ever see him again.  
She had lost, and then found, herself. She had lost Kanan, nearly lost Hera, and had perhaps lost Ezra.  
But it was worth it.


End file.
